CHUUCH! Once again, J, you hit the target bullseye nail on the head and drive it home.

Posted by: T.O.Dubble at July 12, 2007 5:19 PM

I love this blog! I agree that black churches need to come up with a different way of communicating with today's youth. They should figure out how they got it right in the 1950s/1960s when they were able to mobilize thousands of black youth to participate in the Civil Rights Movement and do that today. It wasn't about "don't do this" and "don't listen to that". It was about bringing people together to battle for the same cause.

Posted by: Erika at July 12, 2007 6:14 PM

I love hip-hop, and I love the Black church. I'm guessing that billboard was put up out of frustration and sincere desire to do SOMETHING.

Most of the reactions to the campaign that have been coming out of hip-hop have been ridicule, which is too bad. It seems that if an outside critic doesn't engage hip-hop is just the right way, they get blasted, even if the motives were good.

Bill O'Reilly's motives toward attacking hip-hop are crooked and his methods and arguments deserve to be dismantled. This church? They should be engaged, which your video started out with, but then turned into "gotcha!" theater.

See? Now I'm nitpicking over your methods while the negative rappers "laugh straight to the bank with this." They win, we all lose!

"I love hip-hop, and I love the Black church. I'm guessing that billboard was put up out of frustration and sincere desire to do SOMETHING. Most of the reactions to the campaign that have been coming out of hip-hop have been ridicule, which is too bad. It seems that if an outside critic doesn't engage hip-hop is just the right way, they get blasted, even if the motives were good."

I agree and that's part of what I was trying to say in the video, rather than gratuitously clowning the church.. I made some jokes but only as illustrations of (what i believe to be) substantive criticism, stated directly that I consider them allies and I'm not questioning their motives, and made no ad-hominem attacks..

And I agree it's too bad that most hip-hoppers react with straight ridicule, but when the church starts out with such a hostile and antagonistic tone what other response can one reasonably expect? Although I understand the frustration that leads them to speak with that tone, it is still counterproductive IMHO. Seems to me a case of reaping what you sow, despite the best intentions behind it..

Man first of all thanks for sharing your knowledge! I agree with you and I like the way you put up your ideas in your vids nevertheless I'm a bit pesimist because I think that it's too late to change all these kids's minds unless they have a real passion for music, even if the passion is for young jeezy or any other wack "MC". I mean, I'm young, I'm only 18 and I'm quite a purist when it comes to Hip-Hop (yes, that kind of anoying purist who hates nearly everything new and mostly listen only to 90's and 80's hip-hop) but the fact is that 3 years ago I was listening to 50cent, wearing g-unit clothes, and yelling GGGGGG-G-unit like every other white and black kids in my school! But I had passion for hip-hop and music in general, I already had respect for Hip-Hop legends, and with the time I realized how stupid g-unit was and I started listening to classics and then indy hip-hop from the mid 90's. I guess what i'm trying to say is that if the kid is really loving hip-hop and its real essence you can change his mind and make him forget bling bling thug rappers, but if he's a fan of MIMS sayin "I ain't gotta rap I sell a mill sayin' nothin'on a track" there's no way having him listening to kweli or common...
I have one last message for all the MC's out there:
"It ain't about keeping it real, it's about keeping it RIGHT" Kool Herc

Great lesson in the art of rhetoric. I once wondered why so many successful Black churches, churches that were built on the rhetorical strengths of their pastor-orators, used such ineffective rhetorical devices when they attempted to persuade some of their teens to stop consuming "bad Hip-Hop." I realized they were failing to empathize with their target audiences. Then I wondered whether they were even capable of empathizing with their target audiences. You have given me good reasons to believe Black churches are suffering from both lack of empathy and bad marketing. Black churches simply need to show their target bad Hip-Hop junkies they could get as much or more pleasure from the Church as they could from consuming bad Hip Hop. This might be tough sell in the 21st Century, but it’s still doable. Perhaps Black churches should hire Ma$e to do a national promotional tour. Well, now that I think of it, the revolving door Ma$e seems to be stuck in—Church to Bad Boy, Bad Boy to Church, Church to Bad Boy, Bad Boy to G-Unit—might not help his credibility or the Black churches’ marketing efforts very much.

Wow. You are my hero. I was just recently introduced to your site and was not aware of who you were and what you represent as far as hip-hop/social commentary is concerned. I am so glad that there are people like you out there to offset all of this crap in the industry, hell the black community as a whole! We just need to get you guys (Dead Prez, Talib, The Roots, Dr. Dyson, etc.) on a larger platform so that you can be heard from the people who NEED to hear the information. Because chances are that the people who are subscribers to your site, who read Dr. Dyson and Dr. West, and who pump their fists to Dead Prez (RBG!) are already on the path to enlightenment. We need to get our youth on board, to see the value in what you all are saying. Keep up the great work, you have a new fan.

Posted by: Cynthia at August 22, 2007 1:29 PM

I'm way late on this, but I just discovered the blog. I think your "suggestions" are helpful , but just as you implore this church to get to know the constituency its trying to reach, you should have done some research on this particular congregation.

a yo I'm kinda late on this post and I have to agree with you and the others on you hittin the "nail on the head" with the vid. BUT no one ever mentions or gives any ups to the "christian" artists. (I put it in quotes because you can take it for what it's worth) but for the most part those cats are puttin it down for The Lord. Here's a few to check out IF you don't know any;

and by all means that's just a very small list of a sea of original heads that grew up listening to KRS-1, A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie, Beastie Boys, Bambata, Dana Dane, sheesh I could go on forever. Anywho let's try and remember the christian rapper when mentioning "hip-hop and the church". AND PLEASE don't mention that Kirk Franklin is a rapper anymore either... He's far from being a rapper, not takin away from the brotha but he's just not the poster child for hip-hop in the christian community. With that said I'll be sure to listen to the vids on a regular, and good job on the site and don't let the little hater stop you in your quest to greatness. peace.